1972 United States presidential election in Alabama explained

See main article: 1972 United States presidential election.

Country:	Alabama
Previous Election:	1968 United States presidential election in Alabama
Previous Year:	1968
Next Election:	1976 United States presidential election in Alabama
Next Year:	1976
Type:	Presidential
Election Date:	November 7, 1972
Votes For Election:	All 9 Alabama electoral votes to the Electoral College
Image1:	Richard Nixon presidential portrait (1).jpg
Nominee1:	Richard Nixon
Party1:	Republican Party (United States)
Home State1:	California
Running Mate1:	Spiro Agnew
Electoral Vote1:	9
Popular Vote1:	728,701
Percentage1:	72.4%
Nominee2:	George McGovern
Party2:	Democratic Party (United States)
Alliance2:	National Democratic (Alabama)
Home State2:	South Dakota
Running Mate2:	Sargent Shriver
Electoral Vote2:	0
Popular Vote2:	256,923
Percentage2:	25.5%
Map Size:	300px
President
Before Election:	Richard Nixon
Before Party:	Republican
After Election:	Richard Nixon
After Party:	Republican
Election Name:	1972 United States presidential election in Alabama
Ongoing:	No

The 1972 United States presidential election in Alabama was held on November 7, 1972. Incumbent President Richard Nixon won Alabama, winning 72.43% of the vote to George McGovern's 25.54%., this is the last election in which Dallas County, Hale County, Russell County, and Perry County in the Black Belt voted for the Republican candidate,^[1] and stands as the strongest ever performance by a Republican presidential candidate in the state.

83% of white voters supported Nixon while 14% supported McGovern. Nixon would also be the first presidential candidate since Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1944 to win Alabama and the election. Alabama and Tennessee were the only states where McGovern won any county that voted for George Wallace in 1968.^[2]

Results

Results by presidential elector

Party! Pledged to! Elector! Votes

bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	Bentley Owens	728,701
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	Jerry Crabtree	728,209
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	Owen Leach	727,271
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	B. Ray Holland	727,098
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	Bert Nettles	727,034
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	Jeff Sessions, Jr.	726,434
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	Ann Smith Bedsole	726,374
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	Ruth S. Sullivan	723,075
bgcolor=		Republican Party	Richard Nixon (incumbent)	Doug Hale	723,043
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Albert Raines	219,108
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Carl Elliott	217,576
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Ryan deGraffenried	216,410
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Lucius Amerson	212,078
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Barret Sheldon, Sr.	212,023
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	J. E. Brantley	211,562
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Leola Williams	211,220
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Barney Weeks	211,158
bgcolor=		Democratic Party	George McGovern	Ray Hartwell	210,895
bgcolor=		National Democratic Party of Alabama	George McGovern	J. H. Davis	38,324
bgcolor=		National Democratic Party of Alabama	George McGovern	J. W. Flowers	37,815
bgcolor=		National Democratic Party of Alabama	George McGovern	Wadine V. Williams	36,560
bgcolor=		National Democratic Party of Alabama	George McGovern	Freddie C. Rogers	36,230
bgcolor=		National Democratic Party of Alabama	George McGovern	Jo Crawford	36,210
bgcolor=		National Democratic Party of Alabama	George McGovern	Charlie Burgess	36,061
bgcolor=		National Democratic Party of Alabama	George McGovern	John Hulett	35,941
bgcolor=		National Democratic Party of Alabama	George McGovern	Alex Hurder	35,498
bgcolor=		National Democratic Party of Alabama	George McGovern	Yvonne Gannon	33,823
bgcolor=		American Independent Party	John G. Schmitz	June Carter	11,918
bgcolor=		American Independent Party	John G. Schmitz	Cloyd V. Smith	11,674
bgcolor=		American Independent Party	John G. Schmitz	Margaret Tyson Badham	11,621
bgcolor=		American Independent Party	John G. Schmitz	S. L. Ledbetter	11,510
bgcolor=		American Independent Party	John G. Schmitz	William G. Mori	11,355
bgcolor=		American Independent Party	John G. Schmitz	T. F. Randolph	11,298
bgcolor=		American Independent Party	John G. Schmitz	Ronnie Helms	11,183
bgcolor=		American Independent Party	John G. Schmitz	Michaels S. "Mike" Vaugh	11,101
bgcolor=		American Independent Party	John G. Schmitz	H. Radue	10,832
bgcolor=		Prohibition Party	E. Harold Munn	W. C. Bentley	8,551
bgcolor=		Prohibition Party	E. Harold Munn	Geraldine Hughes	8,524
bgcolor=		Prohibition Party	E. Harold Munn	Pres Waldrop	8,451
bgcolor=		Prohibition Party	E. Harold Munn	Thomas E. Lee	8,375
bgcolor=		Prohibition Party	E. Harold Munn	Nannie Myrtle Pegues	8,322
bgcolor=		Prohibition Party	E. Harold Munn	Clara Miller	8,315
bgcolor=		Prohibition Party	E. Harold Munn	Lois Butterworth	8,060
bgcolor=		Prohibition Party	E. Harold Munn	Robert Argo	7,946
bgcolor=		Prohibition Party	E. Harold Munn	Ira Pegues	7,872
Total votes				1,006,602

Results by county

County	Richard Nixon Republican		George McGovern Democratic		Various candidates Other parties		Margin		Total votes cast
		%		%		%		%
	Autauga		5,367		75.17%		1,593		22.31%		180		2.52%		3,774		52.86%		7,140
	Baldwin		15,104		82.20%		2,923		15.91%		348		1.89%		12,181		66.29%		18,375
	Barbour		4,985		70.92%		1,846		26.26%		198		2.82%		3,139		44.66%		7,029
	Bibb		3,332		78.44%		837		19.70%		79		1.86%		2,495		58.74%		4,248
	Blount		6,486		79.36%		1,582		19.36%		105		1.28%		4,904		60.00%		8,173
	Bullock		2,178		47.44%		2,321		50.56%		92		2.00%		-143		-3.12%		4,591
	Butler		4,685		76.45%		1,401		22.86%		42		0.69%		3,284		53.59%		6,128
	Calhoun		20,364		76.93%		5,832		22.03%		275		1.04%		14,532		54.90%		26,471
	Chambers		8,716		79.21%		2,076		18.87%		211		1.92%		6,640		60.34%		11,003
	Cherokee		3,179		71.89%		1,182		26.73%		61		1.38%		1,997		45.16%		4,422
	Chilton		7,349		82.88%		1,356		15.29%		162		1.83%		5,993		67.59%		8,867
	Choctaw		3,055		60.74%		1,934		38.45%		41		0.82%		1,121		22.29%		5,030
	Clarke		5,256		70.89%		2,031		27.39%		127		1.71%		3,225		43.50%		7,414
	Clay		3,948		88.24%		507		11.33%		19		0.42%		3,441		76.91%		4,474
	Cleburne		3,420		85.20%		581		14.47%		13		0.32%		2,839		70.73%		4,014
	Coffee		9,076		80.06%		2,160		19.05%		100		0.88%		6,916		61.01%		11,336
	Colbert		11,215		67.71%		4,811		29.04%		538		3.25%		6,404		38.67%		16,564
	Conecuh		3,214		74.81%		1,042		24.26%		40		0.93%		2,172		50.55%		4,296
	Coosa		2,672		77.20%		773		22.33%		16		0.46%		1,899		54.87%		3,461
	Covington		9,278		85.27%		1,547		14.22%		56		0.51%		7,731		71.05%		10,881
	Crenshaw		3,129		72.87%		1,085		25.27%		80		1.86%		2,044		47.60%		4,294
	Cullman		14,390		79.54%		3,571		19.74%		130		0.72%		10,819		59.80%		18,091
	Dale		8,346		83.14%		1,594		15.88%		98		0.98%		6,752		67.26%		10,038
	Dallas		8,644		60.53%		5,427		38.00%		209		1.46%		3,217		22.53%		14,280
	DeKalb		9,434		71.27%		3,759		28.40%		44		0.33%		5,675		42.87%		13,237
	Elmore		8,461		79.90%		1,891		17.86%		238		2.25%		6,570		62.04%		10,590
	Escambia		7,883		82.19%		1,598		16.66%		110		1.15%		6,285		65.53%		9,591
	Etowah		20,851		72.95%		7,372		25.79%		358		1.25%		13,479		47.16%		28,581
	Fayette		4,240		83.53%		836		16.47%		0		0.00%		3,404		67.06%		5,076
	Franklin		5,877		75.23%		1,840		23.55%		95		1.22%		4,037		51.68%		7,812
	Geneva		5,851		84.33%		1,049		15.12%		38		0.55%		4,802		69.21%		6,938
	Greene		1,404		29.65%		3,235		68.32%		96		2.03%		-1,831		-38.67%		4,735
	Hale		2,859		59.22%		1,779		36.85%		190		3.94%		1,080		22.37%		4,828
	Henry		3,414		79.56%		853		19.88%		24		0.56%		2,561		59.68%		4,291
	Houston		12,622		83.46%		2,358		15.59%		144		0.95%		10,264		67.87%		15,124
	Jackson		6,202		65.91%		2,985		31.72%		223		2.37%		3,217		34.19%		9,410
	Jefferson		135,095		68.05%		57,288		28.86%		6,145		3.10%		77,807		39.19%		198,528
	Lamar		3,283		80.56%		766		18.80%		26		0.64%		2,517		61.76%		4,075
	Lauderdale		14,410		71.66%		5,112		25.42%		586		2.91%		9,298		46.24%		20,108
	Lawrence		4,433		75.61%		1,416		24.15%		14		0.24%		3,017		51.46%		5,863
	Lee		11,571		74.94%		3,622		23.46%		248		1.61%		7,949		51.48%		15,441
	Limestone		6,188		73.21%		2,079		24.60%		185		2.19%		4,109		48.61%		8,452
	Lowndes		1,990		42.69%		2,559		54.90%		112		2.40%		-569		-12.21%		4,661
	Macon		1,931		33.04%		3,636		62.21%		278		4.76%		-1,705		-29.17%		5,845
	Madison		38,899		73.42%		13,108		24.74%		977		1.84%		25,791		48.68%		52,984
	Marengo		5,156		65.05%		2,645		33.37%		125		1.58%		2,511		31.68%		7,926
	Marion		5,927		85.38%		986		14.20%		29		0.42%		4,941		71.18%		6,942
	Marshall		12,090		74.45%		3,894		23.98%		254		1.56%		8,196		50.47%		16,238
	Mobile		62,639		73.15%		20,694		24.17%		2,301		2.69%		41,945		48.98%		85,634
	Monroe		5,155		74.82%		1,636		23.74%		99		1.44%		3,519		51.08%		6,890
	Montgomery		35,353		71.86%		12,723		25.86%		1,121		2.28%		22,630		46.00%		49,197
	Morgan		18,100		76.85%		5,004		21.25%		449		1.91%		13,096		55.60%		23,553
	Perry		2,800		49.13%		2,718		47.69%		181		3.18%		82		1.44%		5,699
	Pickens		4,071		67.33%		1,933		31.97%		42		0.69%		2,138		35.36%		6,046
	Pike		5,690		76.66%		1,624		21.88%		108		1.46%		4,066		54.78%		7,422
	Randolph		4,427		75.14%		1,330		22.57%		135		2.29%		3,097		52.57%		5,892
	Russell		6,034		66.73%		2,644		29.24%		365		4.04%		3,390		37.49%		9,043
	St. Clair		6,952		79.82%		1,538		17.66%		220		2.53%		5,414		62.16%		8,710
	Shelby		9,390		81.24%		1,859		16.08%		309		2.67%		7,531		65.16%		11,558
	Sumter		2,686		49.19%		2,737		50.12%		38		0.70%		-51		-0.93%		5,461
	Talladega		12,763		73.12%		4,567		26.16%		125		0.72%		8,196		46.96%		17,455
	Tallapoosa		8,535		78.71%		2,113		19.49%		195		1.80%		6,422		59.22%		10,843
	Tuscaloosa		21,172		70.15%		8,272		27.41%		735		2.44%		12,900		42.74%		30,179
	Walker		14,581		78.79%		3,724		20.12%		202		1.09%		10,857		58.67%		18,507
	Washington		3,282		74.73%		1,096		24.95%		14		0.32%		2,186		49.78%		4,392
	Wilcox		2,641		44.42%		3,254		54.74%		50		0.84%		-613		-10.32%		5,945
	Winston		4,971		86.14%		779		13.50%		21		0.36%		4,192		72.64%		5,771
Totals	728,701	72.43%	256,923	25.54%	20,469	2.03%	471,778	46.89%	1,006,093

Counties that flipped from American Independent to Republican

• Autauga
• Baldwin
• Barbour
• Bibb
• Blount
• Butler
• Calhoun
• Chambers
• Cherokee
• Chilton
• Choctaw
• Clarke
• Clay
• Cleburne
• Coffee
• Colbert
• Conecuh
• Coosa
• Covington
• Crenshaw
• Cullman
• Dale
• Dallas
• DeKalb
• Elmore
• Escambia
• Etowah
• Fayette
• Franklin
• Geneva
• Hale
• Henry
• Houston
• Jefferson
• Lee
• Jackson
• Lauderdale
• Lawrence
• Limestone
• Madison
• Marengo
• Marion
• Marshall
• Monroe
• Morgan
• Mobile
• Montgomery
• Shelby
• Perry
• Pickens
• Pike
• Randolph
• Russell
• St. Clair
• Talladega
• Tallapoosa
• Tuscaloosa
• Walker
• Washington
• Winston

Counties that flipped from American Independent to Democratic

• Bullock
• Lowndes
• Wilcox

See also

• United States presidential elections in Alabama

Works cited

• Book: Black . Earl . Earl Black (political scientist) . Black . Merle . Merle Black . The Vital South: How Presidents Are Elected . . 1992 . 0674941306.

Notes and References

1. Sullivan, Robert David; ‘How the Red and Blue Map Evolved Over the Past Century'; America Magazine in The National Catholic Review; June 29, 2016.
2. Web site: Our Campaigns - AL US President Race - Nov 07, 1972 . 2024-03-04 . www.ourcampaigns.com.